Introduction

Halloween Lush is a festive, colorful dessert perfect for spooky celebrations. Layers of cookie crust, creamy filling, and vibrant gelatin make it both delicious and visually fun for any Halloween gathering.

A square layered dessert on a white plate sitting on a white marbled surface, with four distinct layers from bottom to top: a dark chocolate crumb base layer, a thick bright purple creamy layer, a thinner orange creamy layer, and a thick pale green frosting top layer scattered with colorful sprinkles including black, orange, purple, and green pieces, as well as small round candy eyes and purple candy spheres, creating a festive look. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

36 chocolate sandwich cookies
6 tablespoons butter (melted)
6 ounces orange gelatin
⅓ cup boiling water
6.8 ounces vanilla instant pudding
2 ½ cups cold milk
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
16 ounces whipped topping
Green and purple food coloring
Halloween sprinkles

Instructions

Step 1: Crush all the chocolate sandwich cookies into crumbs using a food processor.
Step 2: Place the cookie crumbs into a large bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until well blended.
Step 3: Press the cookie crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9×13-inch glass baking dish to form the crust.
Step 4: In a small bowl, combine the orange gelatin with boiling water. Whisk until mostly dissolved.
Step 5: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla instant pudding mix and cold milk until smooth.
Step 6: Stir the orange gelatin mixture into the vanilla pudding until fully combined.
Step 7: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
Step 8: Fold 2 cups of the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture, blending gently.
Step 9: Add a few drops of purple food coloring to the cream cheese mixture and stir until you reach your desired shade of purple.
Step 10: Spread the purple cream cheese layer evenly over the cookie crust.
Step 11: Pour and spread the orange gelatin and pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese layer.
Step 12: Mix the remaining whipped topping with a few drops of green food coloring until you achieve the desired green color.
Step 13: Spread the green whipped topping evenly over the gelatin layer.
Step 14: Sprinkle Halloween sprinkles over the top to decorate.
Step 15: Refrigerate the dessert for at least 4 hours to set.
Step 16: Serve chilled and enjoy your festive Halloween treat!

Tips & Variations

For extra crunch, add some chopped nuts to the cookie crust before pressing it into the dish.
If you prefer a less sweet dessert, reduce the amount of powdered sugar slightly in the cream cheese layer.
Use different colors of food coloring to create your own spooky color combinations.
Substitute the orange gelatin for another flavor like lime or cherry to vary the taste.

Storage

Store the Halloween Lush covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep it chilled until ready to serve to maintain the layers. If refrigerated longer, the gelatin layer may soften but it will still be tasty. Serve cold for best texture and flavor.

How to Serve

A rectangular clear glass dish filled with a thick, smooth layer of bright light green frosting, evenly spread across the top. The frosting is decorated with scattered small round candy eyes and a mix of sprinkles in colors including black, orange, purple, green, and white, adding a playful and colorful texture. The dish is set on a white marbled textured surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make Halloween Lush in advance?

Yes, this dessert is best when made at least 4 hours ahead to allow the gelatin and layers to set properly. Making it the day before serving works perfectly.

What can I use instead of whipped topping?

You can use homemade whipped cream or stabilized whipped cream as a substitute. Regular whipped cream will also work but may be less stable over time.